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Turmeric Essential Oil Benefits in the Fight Against Cancer

February 15, 2016

Turmeric Essential Oil Benefits in the Fight Against Cancer

Turmeric has a lengthy history as a medicine, spice and coloring agent, and turmeric essential oil is an extremely impressive natural health agent — one that has some of the most promising anticancer effects around. This isn’t surprising when you consider the fact that turmeric has at least 20 molecules that are antibiotic, 14 that are known cancer preventatives, 12 that are anti-tumor, 12 that are anti-inflammatory and that there are at least 10 different antioxidants in turmeric. Turmeric benefits also come from its health-promoting vitamins, phenols and other alkaloids.

Just like turmeric powder, turmeric oil is also anti-allergic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-parasitic, antiviral and anti-worm. It’s also a strong relaxant and balancer. In addition, according to Ayurvedic medicine, this energizing herb is meant to support the imbalance of Kapha body type.

Given all these beneficial components, it’s no surprise that turmeric essential oil holds the following health benefits.

5 Turmeric Essential Oil Benefits

Wondering what is turmeric good for? Turmeric health benefits are truly amazing, ranging from working as a potential cancer-fighting food to an essential oil for depression. Here are some of the most impressive ways that turmeric essential oil can improve your health or the health of someone you know.

1.Helps Fight Colon Cancer

A 2013 study conducted by the Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture at Kyoto University in Japan showed that the aromatic turmerone (ar-turmerone) in turmeric essential oil as well as curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, both displayed the ability to help fight colon cancer in animal models, which is promising for humans struggling with the disease. The combination of curcumin and turmerone given by mouth at both low and high doses actually abolished tumor formation.

Study results published in BioFactors led researchers to the conclusion that turmerone is “a novel candidate for colon cancer prevention.” Additionally, they think that using turmerone in combination with curcumin may become a potent means of natural prevention of inflammation-associated colon cancer.

2.Helps Prevent Neurologic Diseases

Studies have shown that turmerone, a major bioactive compound of turmeric oil, inhibits microglia activation. Microglia are a type of cell located throughout the brain and spinal cord. Activation of microglia is a tell-tale sign of brain disease so the fact that turmeric essential oil contains a compound that stops this harmful cell activation is hugely helpful for the prevention and treatment of brain disease.

Another study using animal subjects showed that both in vitro and in vivo aromatic turmerone causes neural stem cells to rapidly increase in number. Turmeric essential oil’s aromatic turmerone is believed to be a promising natural way to support the regeneration necessary to improve neurologic diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury and stroke.

3.Potentially Treats Epilepsy

The anticonvulsant properties of turmeric oil and its sesquiterpenoids (ar-turmerone, α-, β-turmerone and α-atlantone) have previously been shown in both zebrafish and mouse models of chemically induced seizures. More recent research in 2013 has shown that aromatic turmerone has anticonvulsant properties in acute seizure models in mice. The turmerone was also able to modulate the expression patterns of two seizure-related genes in zebrafish.

4.Aids in Reducing Arthritis and Joint Issues

Traditionally, turmeric has been used in Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine to treat arthritis since turmeric’s active components are known to block inflammatory cytokines and enzymes. That’s why it’s known as one of the best essential oils for arthritis around.

Studies have shown turmeric’s ability to help reduce pain, inflammation and stiffness related to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. One study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry evaluated the anti-arthritic effects of turmeric essential oil and found that crude turmeric essential oil given orally at a dose that would correspond to 5,000 milligrams per day in humans had a modest anti-inflammatory effect on the joints of animal subjects.

5.Improves Liver Health

Turmeric is well-known in the holistic health world for its ability to help improve liver health. The liver is our most vital detoxifying organ, and its condition affects the entire body. Studies have shown that turmeric is hepatoprotective (liver-protective), which is partly due to turmeric’s anti-inflammatory activity. Some research published in BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine specifically looked at methotrexate (MTX), an antimetabolite broadly used in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, and the liver toxicity caused by MTX. The study showed that turmeric helped protect the liver from MTX-induced liver toxicity, working as a preventative liver cleanse. The fact that turmeric could protect the liver from such a strong chemical goes to show just how incredible it can be as a natural liver aid.

Additionally, animal studies have shown that antioxidant enzymes in the blood and serum of subjects were increased after administration of turmeric oil, and turmeric oil also showed a significant effect on the antioxidant enzymes in liver tissue of mice after treatment for 30 days. All of this combined contributes to why turmeric is believed to both help treat and prevent liver disease.

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